Flowing Water

Zechariah 13:1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”

Can you wash your hands in stagnant pond water? Not particularly well, I think. Do you go to a puddle outside to rinse your laundry? Not a chance, you say. Would you kneel down and drink from the melted snow in the driveway? Only if you were a dog. The problem with these sources of water is that they are not flowing, moving, or being refreshed. They simply sit there and collect and then dry up.

In Genesis, chapter 7, we read of the great flood that God used to scour the earth. It wasn’t a gentle drizzle. In fact, it says that the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the windows of heaven were opened. To me, that says that a whole lot of flowing water poured out and shot up from the earth. It was a fountain, flowing water, for cleansing.

When we tell our kids to wash their hands, we expect them to use running water. You need the movement to sweep away the dirt. When we wash our clothes, the washing machine or the river if you live in underdeveloped areas moves the dirt away with flowing water. When we drink, the water is the freshest if it has recently been flowing, not just sitting out. To get things clean and refreshed, we need moving water.

Jesus said in John chapter 7, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Jesus is that fountain that Zechariah prophesied. He is the one, the fountain, the flowing water that cleanses from sin and uncleanness. It was water that flowed from his side as he hung on the cross. It was his blood that flowed to wash away our sin. Today, baptism is that fountain, the water that flows that washes us clean.

There’s a country song that asks about being washed in the blood or in the water. I told a friend it’s like the difference between being baptized and simply taking a shower. One gets you clean for the moment. In the other, Jesus makes you clean for eternity.

Heavenly Father, thanks for the flowing water, the fountain and source of all goodness, Jesus Christ, your Son. May your Holy Spirit remind me daily of the washing away of my sins. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Why?

Romans 9:18 Paul writes, “So then he [God] has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.”

God is God. I am not. It don’t always seem right, but that’s the way it is. I’m paraphrasing one of my seminary professors. Rules are rules. They don’t always make sense and don’t always benefit everyone, but they are still the rules. Human beings are naturally inquisitive. Since the Garden of Eden, our curiosity has been our undoing. Of course the devil himself has a lot to do with encouraging our curiosity, but we do fine on our own, too. The biggest question: WHY?

If you have a two year old or been around one, you’ll remember that this word is often repeated for no apparent reason. Why? Why? Why are circles round? Why can’t the dog talk? Why can’t I go outside without my coat? Why do I have to eat my vegetables? Now, there are a lot of reasonable explanations for all of these, but to the two year old mind, reason doesn’t matter. As a parent, you can attempt to reason, to explain, to wax philosophic, to lay down the law or simply say, “Because I said so.”

Say what you will about parenting, but often that last answer is the only answer that will move life along. Nobody is really happy with that answer, but it puts things in perspective. The parent, hopefully, has the best interest of the child in mind and makes decisions that don’t make sense to the two year old. But it’s not the job of the parent to make everything make sense. It’s their job to love their child and help them to grow.

God often makes decisions that don’t make sense to our limited understanding and we constantly ask why. Why? Why this person and not that person? Why this disease and not that one? Why now and not later? The answer from Paul and earlier from the prophet Isaiah is unsatisfactory. Because, says God. Because I am God. You don’t understand and you may never understand. All you need to know is that I love you and that I forgive you and that I am with you. I created you because I love you. I forgave you because I love you. I am with you because I love you. Why? Because I am God.

God is God. I am not. It don’t always seem right, but that’s the way it is. I am grateful for that.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love that goes beyond our understanding. Thank you for your patience and your presence. Thank you for your Son and your Spirit. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Stories to Share

Romans 1:11-12 Paul writes, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you- that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

We need each other. Plain and simple. I need you and you need me. Why? Because we’re co-dependent and can’t function unless someone needs us? No. We need each other because God is telling His story through us and if we only listen to our own story, we’re not getting the whole picture. God weaves His story through each and every one of us, but it’s not a monologue or a silent film. It’s a cavalcade of craziness and wonder. And if we don’t have each other, we shrivel.

God said in Genesis that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone, so He made Eve. Adam needed Eve. He needed her for companionship and encouragement and help. Moses wouldn’t go to Egypt on his own. He needed Aaron. David had Jonathan. “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him- a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12. God has created us to be in communion with Him and one another and the Holy Spirit keeps us tied to one another.

It is a joy for me to share these devotions with you, to share my faith with you in writing. But I need to hear your stories as well. Tell them however you will, but we both gain strength in our faith from sharing our stories. Paul says we will be mutually encouraged. It’s not a one sided thing, the word flows back and forth. And the stories you share won’t just encourage me, they may encourage others who read them or hear them.

As Paul writes, may these devotions be a spiritual gift to you from me. Thank you for letting me share them with you.

Heavenly Father, thank you for telling your story through each of us. Help us to share your story with one another and those who need the encouragement. In Jesus’ name, amen.

A New Year

Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine, for your light has come,

            And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

The year 2010 (AD or CE) has come to completion. The curtain has dropped and the cast has taken the final bow. What part did you play in the theater of life this year? Were you the hero, the heroine, the antagonist, the protagonist, the victim or an extra? When reflecting upon the year many of us played many roles in the story of God. See, it’s not our story. It’s His story. This past year, we may have looked to see how God played a part in our life. I want to challenge you this year, 2011, to look at it differently. I challenge you to see what part you are playing in His story.

The Lord of heaven and earth has chosen you to be in His cast this year. He has set the stage, painted the backdrop of your life, and hung the lights. It’s His story. It’s time to hit your marks and speak your lines. Be prepared, God does a lot of improvisation with us. It’s not always mapped out and easy for us to follow. Sometimes we forget our lines or walk all over someone else’s part. But there’s no time for dress rehearsal, this is the real deal right from the start. In the midst of the life, we apologize for over playing our part or being disrespectful to the director. It’s called confession. The director responds with words of forgiveness and says the show must go on.

God’s story has been playing since the beginning of time for us and for Him, before there was even time to mark. God’s story is about love, sin, forgiveness, family, people, nations, wars, peace, life and death and life again. God has written this story through the actors themselves, in their lives and in the Scriptures. He is continually casting new players and there’s always room for more. He has roles for newborns, for rebels, for quiet and shy types, for the flamboyant, for the wise, for the simple, for the sick, for the strong, and for the dying.

It’s a new year. It’s God’s eternal story. Arise, shine, for your light, your time, your part has come. God has cast you as a player in His story. It’s your time to shine!

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me to play a role in your story. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I may play the part that you would have me play. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Rejoicing

“Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

            let the field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy

            Before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

            For his steadfast love endures forever!”

                                                (1 Chronicles 16)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The sound of the sea, roaring with joy

The sound of the fields, singing in love

The sound of the trees singing for joy

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

“The pastures of the wilderness overflow,

            the hills gird themselves with joy,

the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,

            the valleys deck themselves with grain,

            they shout and sing together for joy.”

                                                (Psalm 65)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The vision of the hills wrapped in joy

The picture of the meadows clothed in sheep

The valleys dressed in grain

The shouts of joy echoing through the hills and valleys

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

“Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;

            break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,

            With the lyre and the sound of melody!

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

            Make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

            The world and those who dwell in it!

Let the rivers clap their hands;

            Let the hills sing for joy together…”

                                                (Psalm 98)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The noise, the noise, the joyful noise of all the earth

The people singing, the instruments announcing joy

The sea roaring and all of the creatures in it rejoicing

The rivers clapping and the hills singing for joy together

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;

            the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;

It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing…

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return

            And come to Zion with singing;

Everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

            They shall obtain gladness and joy,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

                                                (Isaiah 35)

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

The dry places, the wilderness, the desert bursting with joy

The places that were long dead rejoicing with new life

The captives, the forgotten returning home in song

The prisoners no longer shackled but showered in joy

Can you imagine the world rejoicing?

Jesus said, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance… Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

                                                (Luke 15)

Can you imagine the heavens rejoicing?

The sound of the angels bursting for the in song over you

The joyful noise of heaven when forgiveness rains down over us

More joy than all the earth can muster, more song than the world can sing

More joy than rivers, mountains, valleys and deserts can possibly imagine

Can you imagine the heavens rejoicing over you?

                        It’s the sound of Christmas

                        It’s the sound of Easter

                        It’s the sound of eternity

Stronghold, Shelter and Shade

Isaiah 25:4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat…

A sailor out at sea will look for a cove or a port when a squall comes on suddenly. A hiker will seek out a cave or fallen tree when a storm hits without warning. People in the city will look for air conditioned spaces in the oppressive heat of summer. Most creatures have been designed with a safety-seeking mechanism inside so that when danger is imminent, we look for a safe place to be.

But there is something that often short circuits that mechanism. It’s called pride and will often prevent someone from seeking shelter when it’s necessary. Some do this in a real, physical sense and call it “braving the elements” or something. Others just call that foolish. More often, pride short circuits us in emotional and spiritual matters. When danger comes in a relationship, rather than seeking shelter in God, in the love of Jesus and His forgiveness, we retreat inside and look for the answers in ourselves. That’s pride. We can do it. We can brave the elements in the storms of life. We don’t need shelter, strongholds or shades. The results can be devastating to marriages, to families, to workplaces and to ourselves.

When the going gets tough, the tough run to Jesus. God is a shelter, protector, shade and stronghold, a mighty fortress. Pride keeps us from going to him for help and safety. Isaiah the prophet later says that God subdues the noise…as heat by the shade of a cloud. What relief a cloud can bring in the heat of the day! What relief the Lord our God can bring in the midst of struggle. What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Run to Jesus, to the Lord our God for safety, shelter and sanctuary.

Heavenly Father, the mighty fortress, to You we run in our most desperate hour. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, amen.

The Lord is Near

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is near to the broken hearted

            And saves the crushed in spirit.

Being a senior pastor is difficult. I know that it probably is no more difficult than many other jobs or callings, but it is still a difficult job. I have seen and heard more heart break, pain, struggle and sadness over the last few months than in my entire life. Marriages that are falling apart, depression and seasonal challenges, suicides and their aftermath, cancer diagnoses that were fairly unexpected, funerals, and the list goes on. This is not a list assembled so that you will have sympathy for me or feel sorry for me. It’s not about me. It’s about pain, the broken hearted, the crushed in spirit.

Can there be hope in the midst of pain? Can there be peace with heart break? Can there be joy under the tears? Can there be love with a broken heart? In the middle of these trees, the answer to these questions cannot possibly be yes. But as they say, you often can’t see the forest for the trees. Sometimes the trees are so tall and wide that you can’t see around them. But the real answer to the questions is: yes. Yes there can be hope, peace, joy and love in the middle of the mess.

The promise of God in Psalm 34 is astounding. God is near. He is near is another way of saying He is here. God is with us all in the mess. For those whose heart has been broken, God is here. For those whose spirit has been crushed, God is here. He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world of pain, struggle, broken hearts and crushed spirits. He lived, walked, hungered, hurt and died. He was no stranger to pain.

He is no stranger to your pain either. Though you may not feel it or sense it, God is near. You may not see it or hear it, but He is here with you in the middle of the heart break. His promise is His promise. I need to hear it as much as you and as much as those who can’t see the forest. The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Lord, thank you for being there. In Jesus’ name, amen.